Iowa’s two U.S. Senators, from two different political parties, predictably disagree about President Bush’s choice for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. John Bolton is Bush’s pick for U-N Ambassador and Bush put him in the job yesterday (Monday) when the Senate was off on its August recess — bypassing the Senate confirmation process. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, disagrees with Democrats who say Bolton lacks credibility due to his so-called “recess appointment” Monday by President Bush. Grassley says Bolton’s capability as being an ambassador or a diplomat is not in question. The President nominated Bolton for the job five months ago, but Democrats and a few Republicans in the Senate opposed the move. Grassley says Bush did nothing wrong and Bolton will be a “miracle worker” for the U.S. in the U-N. Grassley says: “The President does what the Constitution allows him to do, what the Senate prevented him from doing, and sends the United Nations an ambassador that can get the job done at cleaning up the U-N, which is something that the American taxpayers have been fighting for for a long period of time.” Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, says Bush’s move to put Bolton in the U-N without Senate approval is a “slap” at Congress. Harkin says Bush’s relationship with Congress is “abysmal” and this move makes it worse.With the recess appointment, Bolton will serve until January of 2007
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